Chipotle Copycat: Cilantro Rice

This recipe was a gem from Pinterest! It tastes so much like Chipotle's cilantro rice, Dr. J and I couldn't tell the difference.  We like to use it as a dinner side or as part of the Barbacoa Bowl we make on our Chipotle-themed dinner nights. ChefInYou did an outstanding job with this one, and earned a new fan!

Cilantro Rice (Chipotle-style)

(Recipe from: ChefInYou)

What's In It?
-1 cup Basmati or any other long grained rice, rinsed lightly in cold water
-1 tsp oil (for that authentic taste use 1 tbsp butter)
-juice of 1-2 small limes
-1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
-about 3 tbsp cilantro (we like cilantro so I tend to use more)
-salt to taste
-2 cups water

How Do I Make It?
Heat a skillet on low heat and add the rice, sugar, and butter/oil. Once the rice is fully coated, add in the lime juice. Stir.

 Add water and salt. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.  Check to make sure that the rice has absorbed all of the water. Once absorbed, add cilantro and stir. Add more lime juice to taste.

5/14-5/20 Weekly Menu

This week, I've decided to really focus on a budget. I need to try to squeeze as many meals as I can out of as little money as possible- the American dream, right?  So I started by picking one meal I was craving, and then figured out what I could make with those leftovers.  Then, I chose another meal and did the same.  The last meal was a special request from Dr. J, so I figured I could accommodate :)

Hawaiian Pulled Chicken Sandwiches w/ Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Turkey Burgers w/ Cilantro and Pine Nut Quinoa

Chicken and Coconut Rice Bowls

Asian Turkey Meatballs w/ Vegetable "Fried" Rice

Baked Mac & Cheese w/ Spinach Salad

What are some methods you use to stick to a weekly budget when planning your meals?

Laughing Cow Chicken (i.e. Baked & Stuffed Chicken Roll-Ups)

Garlic and Herb- my favorite!

If you haven't yet tried the amazing Laughing Cow cheese wedges, your life is about to change.  These 35-calorie wedges are the perfect snack (I like to pair them with Melba toast or celery) and a great addition to a chicken dinner.  You can also make a yummy (and healthy) alfredo sauce with them but let's save that for another time.

This dinner is a frequent go-to in our house-- and you never have to make it the same! There are so many variations that it'll never get old.  The wedges come in original swiss, light swiss, light garlic and herb, light french onion, light blue cheese, light mozzarella, sun-dried tomato & basil, and light queso fresco & chipotle.  Seriously yum!!

Laughing Cow Chicken (Baked & Stuffed Chicken Roll-Ups)

What's In It?

- 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (At Publix, they come in packages of 3, and 1 breast is enough for 2 people).

- 1-2 wedges Laughing Cow

- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs (you can also use plain and just add a few spices to taste)

- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

- 1 tbsp light mayonnaise

- Veggies for stuffing-- I would recommend spinach, broccoli slaw, or even tomatoes

- Cooking spray

How Do I Make It?

Combine the breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese in a small bowl.  Place on the side.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place tinfoil over a medium-sized baking pan (I typically use 13x13).  Lightly grease with cooking spray.

 

After rinsing the chicken breast, cut it in half, lengthwise.  Place a piece of saran wrap over the breasts.

Using your fist, the bottom of the breadcrumb canister, or a meat mallet if you're fancy, pound the breasts out so they become thinner. You don't want them too thin, but thin enough to where they will be easy enough to roll.  

Spread the cheese wedge onto one side of each breast.  Typically, I can use 1 wedge for both pieces, but if you want it extra cheesy, go for 2!

 

Now is the fun part! Take the veggie of your choice (this time, I chose tomatoes) and place a small pile on the large end of each breast.  Make sure you have enough to get the flavor, but not so much where you won't be able to roll up the chicken.

Starting from the end with the veggies, carefully pick up the chicken and fold it over the veggies.  Continue to roll it until you reach the bottom.  Make sure that they are placed seam-side down.

Spread the mayonnaise over each breast and carefully roll in the breadcrumb mixture.  Place seam-side down in the baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes.  There may be liquid under each breast after baking, but this from the cheese (and helps to make the chicken so juicy and tender!).

Serve immediately with a side of your choice! I usually stick with brown rice or quinoa.  Enjoy!

Don't mind our big plates-- I promise this is a fulfilling dinner! :)

Watermelon, Tomato, & Mozzarella Salad

There's nothing better on a hot, summer day (or really any day in Florida) than something both refreshing and satisfying.  That was the inspiration for this delicious recipe!

I could eat watermelon all day, every day. It's just one of those things that never gets old and always brings back memories of my childhood.  My family would always gather around our kitchen while my dad cut up watermelon over the sink.  By the way we grabbed it off of the cutting board and stuffed our faces, you'd think that it had been years since we had eaten anything.  We usually devoured about half and then saved the other half for later (literally, later...watermelon didn't last more than 24 hours in our house).  To this day, whenever the whole family is together, we always make sure there's watermelon in the fridge.

So because it's summer, and watermelon is back in season (woohoo!), I decided to combine a few of my favorite things: Tomato & mozzarella (another meal I could eat daily) with watermelon. 

Watermelon, Tomato, & Mozzarella Salad

What's In It?

-3 cups watermelon, cut into bite-size pieces

-1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved

-1/4 cup finely chopped basil

-2 tbsp finely chopped mint

-2 tbsp olive oil

How Do I Make It?

Add watermelon, tomatoes, basil and mint to a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the mixture and combine thoroughly.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

I love this recipe for so many reasons-- ingredients that aren't so obscure (buying something for only one tbsp is the worst!), it's quick to put together, and it's so healthy and delicious! Enjoy!

5/7- 5/13 Weekly Menu

YUM!

Lately, I've been craving Chipotle. (I know, what else is new?) So this week I centered my menu around making my own version of my beloved Barbacoa bowl.  I then planned to use leftovers on another night, and filled in the others with a few of our favorite go-to recipes.  Let me know what you think!

Laughing Cow Chicken w/ Brown Rice

Chipotle night! (Barbacoa Rice Bowl w/ Chips and Guac)

Barbacoa Quesadillas

Baked Chicken Parm w/ Pasta

Fish Tacos w/ Avocado Sauce and rice

Recipes to come soon!

Weekly Menus

Where the Magic Happens (pic from our first day in the house!)

I am so excited to start posting my weekly menus! Planning menus ahead of time has been such a big help for me as I shop for groceries each week.  My goal is to stay around a $100/week budget-- sometimes I am under (those days are my favorite) and other times I am over (usually when I am restocking on essentials), but it usually balances out.

Typically, I will cook 5 nights a week, save leftovers for the 6th night, and go out with Dr. J and friends on the last night.  We used to go out a lot more but found that cooking actually saves us a lot of money (which we love to do!) and it's quality time that we get to spend together.

For breakfast we typically stick to cereal/bagels or occasionally a delicious baked oatmeal of some sort, and lunches are either leftovers, or a simple salad or sandwich.   But for us, dinner is where it's at- the possibilities are endless and we love exploring all of our options!

Do you plan your menus for the week? What are your favorite go-to recipes?

All You Need is Love...and a Dog

Love- check! Dog- check! These are the new words that I am choosing to live by.  Life can be confusing, hard, and sometimes just plain unfair- but from now on, I am making the choice to be happy.  To look at the positives I have in my life and to make the most of every day.  Life is too short to do anything but that.

I'm fortunate enough to have an amazing family, including parents who have just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary, true friends who I can always count on, and now, the most incredible husband and best friend to spend my life with.  And of course, let's not forget about the dog, who truly has been my best friend since the day I brought him home.  It is because of this support system that I am able to get through the tough times and celebrate the good times. Without them in my life, I don't know where I would be.

I decided to start this blog as a way to document my journey towards living the true HappyJax Life. What is the HappyJax life? I'm glad you asked!  In short, it's following a few simple rules (listed at the top of my blog!), but really it's about making the best of anything life throws your way. Try to look at life the way your dog would- be happy to see and learn something from those you love (and those you don't), do something that makes you happy every day, give lots of kisses, and let things roll off of your back.  Have you ever seen a dog bump into a piece of furniture and then dwell on it? Of course not! They shake it off and move on, chasing after whatever toy their heart desires, and they choose to live in that moment.  So while I may not be chasing toys (more like chocolate and wine!), I want to  live life like my dog, Jaxson, does.  He is truly an inspiration, and I'm sure as you have guessed by now, has even inspired the name of my blog, and this new philosophy of how to truly be happy.

Isn't he the cutest?

So this is it.  This is the start of a new chapter in my life and I am going full force.  I bought a home, got married, and took a huge risk and left my job-- and now I am determined to only do things that I love-- and hopefully figure out how to make a career out of it.  Ultimately, I want to be a mom- but that's a few years down the road, and Jaxson is the only child I need for now :)

The hubs (we'll call him Dr. J, but more on that in a future post) and I are finally starting to make our house feel like a home (yay wedding money!) and I am absolutely loving being a wife.  I hope you join me in this crazy adventure as I find my path to the HappyJax Life.